Rack.



W. M. GILMORE.

RACK.

APPLICATION rILnn AUG. 11, 1008.

' Patented May 18, 1909.

INVENTOR w 7 I DIP] 1 6 41 I W O my 2 ,1 I! I d 1-2 g 7 T T 0 (j-Hmova r11: none: PETERS co., WASHINGTUN. n. c.

WILLIAM M. GILMORE, OF ALVA, OKLAHOMA.

RACK.

Application filed August 11, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthatLl/VILLrAM M. GILMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alva, in the county of Woods and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in racks or easels and more particularly to that class adapted to be employed for supporting and displaying post cards or similar devices and my object is to provide means for holding a variety of cards and in position to be displayed.

A further object is to provide means for protecting the displayed cards from dust, etc.

A further object is to provide means for holding a lurality of the cards on the rack correspon ing to the displayed cards and a still further object is to provide means for supporting the rack in an elevated position.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my im roved rack, showing a portion of the disp ay cards removed. Fig. 2 1s a sectional view as seen on line 2-2, Fig. 1, and, Fig. 3 is a detail section on an enlarged scale as seen on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the frame of my improved rack, which is preferably constructed from a strip of sheet metal, the vertical edges 2 of the frame being bent upwardly and inwardly to form channels 3, while the lower edge 4 of the frame is bent to form a support 5, on which is adapted to rest a cover 6, which cover preferably consists of a ane of glass or other trans arent material, t e channels 3 receiving t e edges of said cover and forming guides therefor.

The forward face of the frame 1 is provided with a plurality of ribs 7 extending the full length of the frame and dividing said frame into sections, while the spaces between said ribs are divided into compartments by means of ledges 8, which preferably consist of strips of sheet metal secured in any pre- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Serial No. 448,060.

ferred manner to one face of the frame. Each of the compartments so provided is adapted to contain a card 9 and by properly spacing the ribs and ledges, the cards will snugly fit the compartments formed thereby and as some of the cards are printed the narrow way thereof and some lengthwise, por tion of the compartments are arranged to support the cards vertically and a portion horizontally, so that said cards will be in proper position to be read when the rack is displayed, but it will be clearly understood that all. of the compartments may be extended horizontally or vertically when so desired.

As the front face of the rack is for displaying purposes only, I have provided means on the rear of the frame 1 for retaining a plurality of the cards as exhibited in the compartments, said means consisting of striking out portions of the surface of the frame and bending them substantially L-shaped in cross section, the bottom and side sections 10 and 11, respectively, so constructed, forming pockets 12 for the reception of the cards and by placing the lower sections 10 in registration with the lower edge of each of the compartments and a section 11 at each end of each of the compartments, the cards on the rear of the frame will be immediately in the rear of the cards displayed in the compartments and by placing the same design of card in the pocket as the design of card contained in the compartment, the attendant readily selects the proper card from the rack by noting the position of the card selected by the purchaser in the compartments.

The rack is supported in a substantially vertical position by means of a standard 13, which is preferably constructed from one piece of heavy wire or rod and is substantially rectangular in outline, the up er end of the standard extending through a loop 14 at the upper end of the frame 1., while the lower end of the standard is left free to swing outwardly and engage the object upon which the rack is resting and by moving the lower end of the standard at varying distances from the lower end of the rack, said rack may be supported at varying angles from the perpendicular.

To prevent the standard swinging too far outwardly, a chain 15 may be secured to the lower end of the rear face of the rack and extended into engagement with the lower end of the standard 13 and by providing a hook 16 on the standard with which the links of the chain are adapted to engage, the standard may beheld at various distances from the lower end of the rack. i

In applying my improved rack to use, the cover 6 is first removed by sliding the same lengthwise out of engagement with the channels 3 when the compartments on the front face of the rack may be filled with variously designed cards or any other objects to be displayed and after all, or

1, the required number, of compartments have been filled, the cover 6 is again returned to its position and a number of cards placed in each pocket corresponding in design to the design of the card displayed in each compartment.

The rack is then placed in a substantially vertical position, the supporting end thereof resting upon an object and the standard 13 swung outwardly the proper distance to hold the rack is position to display the contents of the compartments, the chain 15 being engaged with the hook 16 to hold the standard in its adjusted position and when a customer selects a certain form of card, the attendant can readily remove one of the cards from the pocket corresponding to the card selected by the customer. In this manner the customer is prevented from handling the cards and a greater variety of the cards can be displayed in a smaller space than when the cards are placed on a counter or in a show case.

It will thus be seen that I have, provided a very cheap and economical form of rack for displaying cards or other articles and by providing a transparent covering for the face of the rack, said cards will be fully protected from dust or other d'estructible' having channels at each edge thereof, ribs eXtending longitudinally of the frame, ledges extending laterally of the frame, said ribs and ledges forming compartments and a transparent covering adapted to enter said channels and extend over the face of the frame; of substantially L-shaped sections on the rear of said frame, said sections forming pockets and a standard adapted to support the rack in its vertical position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NVILLIAM M. GILMORE. l Vitnesses:

HARRY T. PARSONS, C. O. GREEN. 

